The School Journey Association School Trips

LOOKING FOR AN AMAZING SCHOOL TRIP? 

As members of the School Travel Forum and LOtC badge Holders, the School Journey Association provides inspiring educational trips designed to bring subjects to life, extend students’ learning and develop their appreciation of local and international cultures outside the classroom. We’ve been around for over 100 years and have a wealth of experience, knowledge and contacts, all to guarantee you and your students a trip of a lifetime. There is simply nothing like an SJA Trip!

The UK pioneers of school travel, the School Journey Association has been arranging school trips since 1911, earning a brilliant reputation as a specialist school travel company providing outstanding, well-organised school group travel plus activity packages, both within the UK and across Europe. We have developed a wide range of successful residential trips which are extremely popular. In addition to these we also specialise in creating tailor-made curriculum based school trips that focus on core subjects for all ages, created to your exact specifications and to any destination of your choice, even those that aren’t listed on our website.

We provide expert local knowledge and have loyal partnerships with providers in each region we visit. This means that we can offer great value for money and bespoke services, working with hotels, transport providers and tour companies that support school trips.

We offer:

• Individually tailored, stimulating tours and exciting school journeys  designed to extend learning
• Activity based packages, at very competitive prices in the UK and France
• Quality service provided by our team of tour consultants and advisers with years of experience in educational tours and school group travel. All our providers are thoroughly vetted by us, and all coach drivers are DBS checked
• Financial Assistance Grants for those from disadvantaged families who might otherwise be unable to participate. The School Journey Association will help all pupils receiving “free school meals” plus some other children who meet our financial criteria. Call us now on 0208 675 6636.
• 1 free adult place per 8 pupils in the group
• Free over-night accommodation for the group leader so you can get a feel for the location before your class arrives, if needed
• Full financial security and cover for any eventuality through ABTA (V360X) and ATOL (3165)
• Value for Money – SJA is a non-profit making charity. This means that we aim to keep the cost of each school tour to a minimum whilst ensuring the best quality accommodation and transport for the safety and comfort of your group

SJA Tours / SJA Travel / School Journey Association / School tour operator / educational tour operator

The SJA is run by teachers and ex-teachers, who volunteer their time, all with vast experience of school travel. All our trips increase your students first hand learning experiences and enrich their lives by encouraging personal development and independence. As a registered charity, The School Journey Association strongly believes in inclusion, and doesn’t want any child to miss out. One of the prime purposes of The School Journey Association is to support children from disadvantaged families or with Special Needs who might not otherwise be able to participate in school trips. For this reason, we may be able to offer a grant of up to 50% of the cost of a trip to help individual children from disadvantaged families to participate. All FSM students receive a £50 reduction.

The cost of an SJA Tours usually includes: return travel to/from school, full board accommodation (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner) and excursions. In the case of an activity trip, a programme of activities will be included in the cost of your residential trip.

If you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary, we can create an inspiring tailor-made itinerary focusing on a multitude of diverse interests, created to your exact specifications or any destination of your choice. Our team of experienced Tour Consultants will be able to source and organise exactly what you need.

The SJA caters for any size group.

The School Journey Association believes that for efficient, safe and fun school group travel, planning needs to be systematic, consistent and appropriate to the visit. We also know that good planning is the key to successful educational trips.

For a great school trip the aims and objectives of the visit should be clearly identified by you, the teacher/ tour leader, at an early stage. These should be relevant to your class and their needs, taking into account their age, ability, previous experience and the resources available.

Clear, appropriate objectives will contribute significantly to your class’s safety and well-being and will; ensure appropriate structure and discipline to the visit; help maximise your group’s motivation; help you chose an environment and activity appropriate to your group’s maturity and experience; and allow you to consider the appropriate training, staffing and resources needed for school group travel.

We recommend that the teacher conducts a preliminary visit and does some research to support the planning and completion of risk assessments.

The School Journey Association recommends that all means of researching the area be explored. Suggested sources of information include; district councils, tourist offices, National Park information services, and other local establishments and authorities.

A preliminary visit should seek to:

• Check appropriateness of the venue to your class’s needs and the objective of the school trip
• Check for potential hazards and provide the opportunity for a site specific risk assessment
• Check timings (length of walks, tides etc)
• Establish your own local contacts
• Check accommodation, including washing and toilet facilities, heating and lighting, storage space available for personal belongings and sufficient room between bunks and beds, especially for fire risks and evacuation;
• Establish appropriate escape routes in case of emergency;
• Obtain information on local services (doctors, dentists, hospital, telephone, toilets)
• Ascertain an appropriate emergency action plan

Yes, school groups are authorized to take photography or film unless otherwise stated

A risk assessment for a visit need not be complex but it should be comprehensive.

It does not generally require technical formulae or professional health and safety expertise but special information for some visits may be necessary and Head Teachers should ensure that the person assessing the risks is competent to do so.

A formal assessment of the risks that might be met on an educational visit should have the aim of preventing the risks or reducing them.  Young people must not be placed in situations that expose them to unacceptable risk.  Safety must always be the prime consideration.  If the risks cannot be contained then the visit must not take place.

The risk assessment should be based on the following considerations:

• What are the hazards?
• Who might be affected by them?
• What safety measures need to be in place to reduce risks to an acceptable level?
• Can the visit leader put the safety measures in place?
• What steps will be taken in an emergency?

The following factors are important when assessing the risks:

• the type of visit/activity and the level at which it is being undertaken;
• the location, routes and modes of transport;
• the competence, experience and qualifications of supervisory staff;
• the ratio of teachers and supervisory staff to young people;
• the group members’ age, competence, fitness, temperament and the suitability of the activity;
• any special educational and medical needs of the young people;
• the quality and suitability of available equipment;
• seasonal considerations, weather and timing;
• emergency procedures. How to cope when a young person becomes unable or unwilling to continue;
• the need to monitor the risks throughout the visit;
• the need to monitor the young people at night.

Recording Risk Assessment

The person carrying out the risk assessment should record it and, from the outcome, formulate a set of procedures for the safe management of the visit. These procedures must be agreed and shared with all staff on the visit, thereby enabling them to avoid or reduce risks.

The Head Teacher and Governing Body should also be given a copy so that approval, as necessary, can be given with a clear understanding that effective planning has taken place.  For all school trips / visits involving potentially hazardous/adventurous activities and residential trips the Local Authority must also be provided with the information.

Please call The School Journey Association on 020 86756636 for a quote.

We offer 1 free adult for every 8 children travelling

All FSM students receive a £50 reduction when you book with SJA

09.00-16.30 Monday to Friday

“We’ve used SJA for over 20 years because they’re a reliable company who do the research and bookings teachers no longer have time for. They liaise with other providers to ensure your residential is a safe, fun and interesting experience for all concerned.’’

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, June 2025

“Thank you very much indeed for the positive outcome of the Board’s deliberations regarding our application for funding towards the cost of the additional adult required to attend our Year 6’s visit to Bournemouth this year. Our student thoroughly enjoyed the week and benefited enormously from the change of environment and the absence of usual ‘triggers’. It was quite striking to see such a significant change in demeanour and behaviour – for the better – during the week and to realise that it is sometimes the situation a child is in (and not necessarily their condition) that can have such an adverse impact on a child. thank you once again for this funding; it is very much appreciated, as is your already generous funding of the discounts for our FSM children.”

Clockhouse Primary, Essex

“SJA takes the pain out of organising and creates a fun, educational and enjoyable trip for children and staff in a lovely safe setting”

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Bournemouth Trip June 2024’